Azu's Akatsuki Tale, Chapter 04: Surprise Visitor
by KorinaK
Summary: Having successfully escaped from the Akatsuki's clutches, what will Azumi do now? This chapter does not have much Akatsuki action in it... if this is your first time reading my story, please see my other chapters! Hope you like the story!


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters…. etc, etc. If I did, then the Akatsuki would be more of a big player in the story! Well, I promised I'd update. I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but the next one will be more important!

Azu's Akatsuki Tale, Chapter 04: Surprise Visitor

I climbed up the mountain of loose boulders as quickly as I could. I didn't dare stop for a breather, since I didn't know how much time I had. The moon lit my way, and showed me an ever-widening forest as I climbed higher and higher.

Arriving at the top, everything was black. There was no sign of any civilization around.

Since I found myself on fairly flat ground, I tossed a stick in the air. It landed left. I headed towards what the stars told me was the east.

Some time later….

I'd been traveling quickly on the rocky terrain. I appeared to be on top of a flat, long, mountain range. My watch told me it had been several hours already.

Not that I was planning to make a career of selling books entitled "Evading Your Enemies for Dummies" or anything (only 10.99! Buy your copy today!), but I knew that traveling on stone would make me harder to track than traveling in the forest below me.

Dawn was going to rise soon. And that's when I saw a faint glimmer of lights. A lot of lights, actually. Setting my course by the quickly fading stars, I started to pick my way down the mountain.

Later

"Anali Village?" asked the woman curiously. "My dear, that's at least 40 miles off where we are now!"

"Ah, yes, because I'm a, er, traveler! I wished to see some more of the world, and decided to take a little, um, detour. So, Anali Village is my destination…" I trailed off. I didn't wish to take too long: Any enemy tracking me could easily ask around to see if I had been seen.

"Hey, actually, my husband is traveling that way on horseback soon. You want to hitch a ride with him?" offered the lady.

"Oh! If it's not too much trouble, I'd really appreciate…" Going on horseback would mean going faster.

That same day's evening…

Painted red village gates loomed ahead of us in the falling sun's light. I nearly fell off the horse with relief. The young man's voice broke in to my relieved thoughts, "Hey, I'm gonna split once we're in town. You sure you're okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I got off the horse, rubbing my aching legs. I knew where my grandmother's house was.

I knocked tiredly on the door. "Coming!" yelled someone from inside. I raised my eyebrows: The voice had not sounded like my grandmother's, and as far as I knew, she lived alone. A moment later, the door clicked open.

A tall woman in her 20s stood in the door, her grayish-purple hair swept back in a high ponytail. In her hand, she clutched a woven wooden basket with a still-steaming towel in it. Her dusky brown eyes widened as she saw me. "Azu, hello! What are you doing here…?"

"I could ask you the same, Auntie," I teased. "My dad sent me here with some medicine for Grandmother. Is she doing all right?"

And suddenly, her face seemed pained. "Why don't you come inside? I'll make us a cup of tea for a wake-up drink…"

"… and, you see, she's just not doing very well." Aunt Anpan took a sip of tea. "I think it must be her old age catching up with her…" Her voice trailed off, and her eyes did not meet mine. "Anyways, since I had no missions recently, I thought I'd come out here and take care of her, since your father seems busy with his shop and medical stuff…"

"I'm sorry my father couldn't come," I said. Determined to change the subject, I declared, "You must be pretty bored around here, hunh?"

Aunt Anpan smiled faintly. "I don't have much to do, really. But I have to stay with her…"

Suddenly, an idea struck me like a wave. I knew Aunt Anpan was a ninja, since my mother had been, as well as their older sister, my aunt Anko.

"If you have nothing to do, could you do me… er, a bit of a favor?"

She gave me a questioning look. "Well, I'm not exactly very busy…what did you need?"

I looked her in the eye, and asked, "Could you teach me how to fight?"


End file.
